Review and reinterpretation of Rio Grande silvery minnow reproductive ecology using egg biology, life history, hydrology, and geomorphology information

To inform management actions to recover the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus, RGSM), we (1) calculated the terminal settling velocities of newly expelled and water-hardened RGSM eggs for the observed range of suspended sediment concentrations and water temperatures in the Rio Grande, New Mexico, USA, and (2) reviewed RGSM reproductive ecology in the context of egg biology, the species’ life history, and the historic and contemporary hydrology and geomorphology of the Rio Grande. Results show that in a naturally functioning riverine environment, the location and timing of spawning, the ontogenic stage of egg development, and habitat-specific differences in sediment and temperature that influence egg-settling rates interact to (1) prevent egg suffocation, (2) promote egg entrainment in clear, warm, productive floodplain habitats, and (3) limit downstream population displacement. Our research suggests that the RGSM is primarily a demersal, floodplain spawning species that evolved eggs that are secondarily buoyant in high-sediment environments rather than a main channel, pelagic broadcast-spawning species with an evolved long-distance, downstream drift phase, as previously reported. The current high magnitude of egg drift is hypothesized to be an artefact of contemporary river management and channelization, leading to reduced lateral connectivity, floodplain abandonment, and habitat degradation. Conservation actions implemented to restore historic channel form and reconnect low-velocity backwater and floodplain habitats are recommended. In the absence of a documented upstream migration of adult fish, removal of barriers to a presumed upstream movement is unlikely to provide immediate benefits to RGSM

Elm Leaf Beetle

4 pp., 1 table, 2 color photosElm leaf beetles damage all varieties of elm trees. Learn how to identify this insect and understand its biology and life cycle. There are suggestions for controlling elm leaf beetles, as well as a table of insecticides effective against this pest

Grasshoppers and Their Control

4 pp., 7 color photos, 5 tablesThis leaflet describes the five most damaging grasshopper species in Texas, and offers suggestions for monitoring and control

Two-week joint mobilization intervention improves self-reported function, range of motion, and dynamic balance in those with chronic ankle instability

We examined the effect of a 2-week anterior-to-posterior ankle joint mobilization intervention on weight-bearing dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM), dynamic balance, and self-reported function in subjects with chronic ankle instability (CAI). In this prospective cohort study, subjects received six Maitland Grade III anterior-to-posterior joint mobilization treatments over 2 weeks. Weightbearing dorsiflexion ROM, the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral reach directions of the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), and self-reported function on the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) were assessed 1 week before the intervention (baseline), prior to the first treatment (pre-intervention), 24–48 h following the final treatment (post-intervention), and 1 week later (1-week follow-up) in 12 adults (6 males and 6 females) with CAI. The results indicate that dorsiflexion ROM, reach distance in all directions of the SEBT, and the FAAM improved (p < 0.05 for all) in all measures following the intervention compared to those prior to the intervention. No differences were observed in any assessments between the baseline and pre-intervention measures or between the postintervention and 1-week follow-up measures (p > 0.05). These results indicate that the joint mobilization intervention that targeted posterior talar glide was able to improve measures of function in adults with CAI for at least 1 week

Examining risk for frequent cocaine use: Focus on an African American treatment population

BACKGROUND: Cocaine use and its consequences are disproportionately higher and more severe among African Americans compared to other ethnic/racial groups. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to examine a risk model specific for African American users and assess whether risk varies as a function of sex. METHODS: 270 African American adults in a residential drug treatment facility completed measurements assessing first and past year crack/cocaine use frequency, childhood trauma, and stress reactivity. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the unique effect of each predictor variable on past year crack/cocaine frequency. Sex was included as a moderator variable in the regression analysis. RESULTS: All predictor variables were positively correlated with past year crack/cocaine use. However, sex differences were also observed: females reported higher rates of childhood emotional abuse, childhood sexual abuse, and stress reactivity-as well as past year crack use and cocaine use-than males. Regression analyses were performed with sex, first year use, and stress reactivity emerging as the only significant predictors for frequency of crack and cocaine use among all study participants. Moreover, sex differences were observed in the influence of first year crack use frequency on past year crack use frequency, such that the effect was stronger for males than for females. Conclusion/Importance: This study offers a clearer understanding of the risk factors for crack and cocaine abuse specific to African Americans, as well as sex specific pathways to risk, providing useful implications for future prevention and treatment efforts

Increasing prevalence of epizootic shell disease in American lobster from the nearshore Gulf of Maine

Epizootic shell disease (ESD) is a significant concern to the southern New England lobster fishery. Although ESD has been reported in the southern Gulf of Maine off Massachusetts, there are few reports from Maine waters. We report on the occurrence and distribution of ESD in American lobsters from nearshore Gulf of Maine from the Maine Commercial Lobster Sea Sampling Program. Overall, average prevalence levels of ESD by trip were very low (\u3c0.16%) through 2010, then increased from 2011 to the present, reaching 1.2% in 2013. As with previous studies, recent prevalence levels in legal and sublegal (\u3c127 mm CL) animals were higher (6%–7%) in egg-bearing females than in males and non-ovigerous females. This pattern was amplified in oversized (\u3e127 mm CL) lobsters, regardless of sex and reproductive state, with much higher prevalence levels (up to 22%). Spatially, prevalence levels of ESD were significantly higher in western regions of the Gulf of Maine than off eastern Maine. Using histology and microbiome analyses, the etiology of the disease was investigated and common signs of lobsters with ESD were described. Aquimarina homari, a bacterium associated with ESD, was significantly more prevalent on lobsters with lesions and abundance was correlated with severity of ESD. Our report indicates that ESD is present on lobsters throughout the nearshore waters of the Gulf of Maine. Given the effect of the disease on lobsters from southern New England and its increasing prevalence over time, further monitoring of ESD in the Gulf of Maine is warranted

Fenretinide Treatment Prevents Diet-Induced Obesity in Association With Major Alterations in Retinoid Homeostatic Gene Expression in Adipose, Liver and Hypothalamus

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Four-month moxifloxacin-based regimens for drug-sensitive tuberculosis

Supported by the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.K. Department for International Development, Directorate General for International Cooperation of the Netherlands, Irish Aid, Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and National Institutes of Health, AIDS Clinical Trials Group and by grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) (UM1AI068634, UM1 AI068636, and UM1AI106701) and by NIAID grants to the University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) site 31422 (1U01AI069469); to the Perinatal HIV Research Unit, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, South Africa, ACTG site 12301 (1U01AI069453); and to the Durban International Clinical Trials Unit, South Africa, ACTG site 11201 (1U01AI069426); Bayer Healthcare for the donation of moxifloxacin; and Sanofi for the donation of rifampin.Background: Early-phase and preclinical studies suggest that moxifloxacin-containing regimens could allow for effective 4-month treatment of uncomplicated, smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial to test the noninferiority of two moxifloxacin-containing regimens as compared with a control regimen. One group of patients received isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol for 8 weeks, followed by 18 weeks of isoniazid and rifampin (control group). In the second group, we replaced ethambutol with moxifloxacin for 17 weeks, followed by 9 weeks of placebo (isoniazid group), and in the third group, we replaced isoniazid with moxifloxacin for 17 weeks, followed by 9 weeks of placebo (ethambutol group). The primary end point was treatment failure or relapse within 18 months after randomization. Results: Of the 1931 patients who underwent randomization, in the per-protocol analysis, a favorable outcome was reported in fewer patients in the isoniazid group (85%) and the ethambutol group (80%) than in the control group (92%), for a difference favoring the control group of 6.1 percentage points (97.5% confidence interval [CI], 1.7 to 10.5) versus the isoniazid group and 11.4 percentage points (97.5% CI, 6.7 to 16.1) versus the ethambutol group. Results were consistent in the modified intention-to-treat analysis and all sensitivity analyses. The hazard ratios for the time to culture negativity in both solid and liquid mediums for the isoniazid and ethambutol groups, as compared with the control group, ranged from 1.17 to 1.25, indicating a shorter duration, with the lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals exceeding 1.00 in all cases. There was no significant difference in the incidence of grade 3 or 4 adverse events, with events reported in 127 patients (19%) in the isoniazid group, 111 (17%) in the ethambutol group, and 123 (19%) in the control group. Conclusions: The two moxifloxacin-containing regimens produced a more rapid initial decline in bacterial load, as compared with the control group. However, noninferiority for these regimens was not shown, which indicates that shortening treatment to 4 months was not effective in this setting. (Funded by the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development and others; REMoxTB ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00864383.)Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Rationale and design: telepsychology service delivery for depressed elderly veterans

BACKGROUND: Older adults who live in rural areas experience significant disparities in health status and access to mental health care. "Telepsychology," (also referred to as "telepsychiatry," or "telemental health") represents a potential strategy towards addressing this longstanding problem. Older adults may benefit from telepsychology due to its: (1) utility to address existing problematic access to care for rural residents; (2) capacity to reduce stigma associated with traditional mental health care; and (3) utility to overcome significant age-related problems in ambulation and transportation. Moreover, preliminary evidence indicates that telepsychiatry programs are often less expensive for patients, and reduce travel time, travel costs, and time off from work. Thus, telepsychology may provide a cost-efficient solution to access-to-care problems in rural areas. METHODS: We describe an ongoing four-year prospective, randomized clinical trial comparing the effectiveness of an empirically supported treatment for major depressive disorder, Behavioral Activation, delivered either via in-home videoconferencing technology ("Telepsychology") or traditional face-to-face services ("Same-Room"). Our hypothesis is that inhome Telepsychology service delivery will be equally effective as the traditional mode (Same-Room). Two-hundred twenty-four (224) male and female elderly participants will be administered protocol-driven individual Behavioral Activation therapy for depression over an 8-week period; and subjects will be followed for 12-months to ascertain longer-term effects of the treatment on three outcomes domains: (1) clinical outcomes (symptom severity, social functioning); (2) process variables (patient satisfaction, treatment credibility, attendance, adherence, dropout); and (3) economic outcomes (cost and resource use). DISCUSSION: Results from the proposed study will provide important insight into whether telepsychology service delivery is as effective as the traditional mode of service delivery, defined in terms of clinical, process, and economic outcomes, for elderly patients with depression residing in rural areas without adequate access to mental health services. TRIAL REGISTRATION: National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials Registry (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier# NCT00324701)

A novel ruthenium-silver based antimicrobial potentiates aminoglycoside activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The rapid dissemination of antibiotic resistance combined with the decline in the discovery of novel antibiotics represents a major challenge for infectious disease control that can only be mitigated by investments in novel treatment strategies. Alternative antimicrobials, including silver, have regained interest due to their diverse mechanisms of inhibiting microbial growth. One such example is AGXX, a broad-spec­trum antimicrobial that produces highly cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) to inflict extensive macromolecular damage. Due to the connections identified between ROS production and antibiotic lethality, we hypothesized that AGXX could potentially increase the activity of conventional antibiotics. Using the gram-negative pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we screened possible synergistic effects of AGXX on several antibiotic classes. We found that the combination of AGXX and aminoglycosides tested at sublethal concentrations led to a rapid exponential decrease in bacterial survival and restored the sensitivity of a kanamycin-resistant strain. ROS production contributes significantly to the bactericidal effects of AGXX/aminoglycoside treatments, which is dependent on oxygen availability and can be reduced by the addition of ROS scaveng­ers. Additionally, P. aeruginosa strains deficient in ROS detoxifying/repair genes were more susceptible to AGXX/aminoglycoside treatment. We further demonstrate that this synergistic interaction was associated with a significant increase in outer and inner membrane permeability, resulting in increased antibiotic influx. Our study also revealed that AGXX/aminoglycoside-mediated killing requires an active proton motive force across the bacterial membrane. Overall, our findings provide an understanding of cellular targets that could be inhibited to increase the activity of conventional antimicrobial